Chennai, Mar 23: In the run-up to the first part of the El Clasico clash in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Chennai Super Kings always looked like the stronger side and the five-time champions justified that billing by registering a four-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in the third game of the ongoing tournament at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.

CSK’s win was set up by their new bowlers Noor Ahmad’s 4-18 and Khaleel Ahmed’s 3-29, as they kept MI to 155/9 in their 20 overs. In the chase, Gaikwad mixed aggression and timing to hit six fours and three sixes while bringing up his fifty in 22 balls, his fastest half-century in the tournament.

Despite wickets falling from the other end, Rachin Ravindra held one end up to hit an unbeaten 45-ball 65, laced with two fours and four sixes, as CSK completed a nervy win with five balls to spare. For MI, who have not won their first match of an IPL season since 2012, debutant left-arm wrist-spinner Vignesh Puthur’s spell of 3-32 would be the biggest positive.

On his CSK debut, Noor bamboozled MI batters with his mastery to pick the best figures by a spinner from his team against the five-time champions. On the other hand, Khaleel was his best in power-play to push MI on the backfoot. Despite rebuilding efforts from Tilak Varma (31) and Suryakumar Yadav (29), MI weren’t at their best in terms of shot selection, as CSK’s spinners stemmed the run-flow in middle overs.

It took a cameo of 28 not out off 15 balls from Deepak Chahar to take them past 150. Electing to bowl first, CSK had a brilliant start, thanks to Khaleel’s brilliance in power-play. With an inswinger on stumps, Khaleel had Rohit Sharma flicking straight to mid-wicket and dismissing him for a four-ball duck. Ryan Rickelton hit three boundaries, before playing onto his stumps and falling to Khaleel for 13.

Ravichandran Ashwin struck in his first over as a CSK bowler after nearly a decade as Will Jacks tried to loft off his carrom ball, but never got any power and was caught at mid-off for 11. Amidst all this, Suryakumar laid the stage for MI’s fightback with a four each off Ashwin and Nathan Ellis, before whipping Khaleel for six.

From the other end, Varma tried unsettling Ashwin straightaway by thumping and reverse-sweeping him for back-to-back boundaries, before lofting off Ravindra Jadeja for six. Ashwin nearly had Suryakumar dismissed if he didn’t shell the caught and bowled chance, but the MI skipper was dismissed when he came out to take on Noor, but he missed the turning-away delivery and was quickly stumped from behind by MS Dhoni for 29.

Noor struck again in the 13th over when debutant Robin Minz tried to break free from pressure, but holed out to long-off. One brought two for Noor as he trapped Tilak plumb lbw with a googly for 31, before castling Naman Dhir around his legs for 17. After Ellis trapped Mitchell Santner lbw, Chahar applied the finishing touches to MI’s innings by hitting Khaleel for four and six. Khaleel, though, finished off his spell by having Trent Boult hole out in the deep, before Chahar hoicked Ellis for six, as MI managed to cross 150-mark.

Chasing 156, Chahar struck as Rahul Tripathi top-edged his short ball to Rickleton in the second over. Gaikwad, coming out at No.3, creamed two drives off Trent Boult for back-to-back fours, before pulling Chahar for six.

With debutant pacer Satyanarayana Raju giving the width, Gaikwad capitalised on his errors to hammer through square of the off-side, before pulling, whipping, and smashing Mitchell Santner for six and two fours, as CSK ended the power-play at 62/1. Post that, Gaikwad lofted Will Jacks inside-out for six, before bringing up his fifty in 22 balls. But he fell for 53 when he looked to play the lofted straight drive against debutant Puthur, but holed out to long-off.

Puthur, yet to play senior cricket for Kerala, had another big wicket when Shivam Dube holed out to the fielder near the straight boundary for nine, shortly after deceiving the spin hitter with a googly. Amidst all this, Ravindra, who was at 28 off 27 balls, signalled a shift in gears by dancing down the pitch and lofting Puthur for six. But the young wrist spinner’s dream night continued as Deepak Hooda didn’t get elevation on the slog-sweep and was caught in the deep.

From there, CSK’s troubles began as after two quiet overs, Sam Curran tried to take on Jacks but was castled for four. With 31 runs needed off the last four overs, Ravindra Jadeja sliced Boult through backward point to collect a four in a 10-run 17th over.

Ravindra, meanwhile, brought up his fifty in 42 balls by hoicking Puthur over mid-wicket for six, before smoking him over long-on for another maximum. Though Jadeja was run out for 17, Ravindra finished off the chase in style by pulling Santner for six, much to the delight of the crowd, who also got to see MS Dhoni, who didn’t score a run, as CSK began their campaign with a win.

Brief scores:

Mumbai Indians 155/9 in 20 overs (Tilak Varma 31, Suryakumar Yadav 29; Noor Ahmad 4-18, Khaleel Ahmed 3-29) lost to Chennai Super Kings 158/6 in 19.1 overs (Rachin Ravindra 65 not out, Ruturaj Gaikwad 53; Vignesh Puthur 3-32, Deepak Chahar 1-18) by four wickets

--IANS

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